Confused About Microzinc

Microzinc will avoid the bulk of the competitive absorption issues with zinc and copper, as it goes through a different pathway. It's actually multiple pathways: endocytosis, M cell pathway, and through macrophages. This reduces its interactions with the absorption of other nutrients like copper. However, there is a separate process that the body uses to maintain homeostasis via metallothionein. When zinc levels go up, the body makes more metallothionein. Since metallothionein has a higher affinity for copper than zinc, this inhibits the ability of copper to get to serum. So while Microzinc avoids the competitive inhibition of absorption with copper, there is another mechanism that can lower copper if zinc levels get too high.

So yes, Microzinc will not compete for absorption with copper, due to the sucrose ester it is encased by. However, that is not the only homeostatic process in the body that affects copper levels based on zinc levels. If you go high enough, then the increase in metallothionein will start to affect copper levels as well. That's not a competitive absorption mechanism, but can still lower available copper in the body. Taking one or two of our original 20mg Microzinc capsules will not affect copper levels, as long as you have enough in your diet. However, two of our 40mg might, if your dietary copper intake is low. This is especially true if there are other factors, like alcohol intake. If your copper intake in your diet is good, and you are taking reasonable doses of Microzinc, you should not have to supplement copper with it. If you are taking higher doses of Microzinc, not getting enough copper in your diet, or have lower copper levels from things like drinking alcohol, then you should supplement copper with it. A blood test would tell you for sure where you land.